Everyone grows old at some point in life. Factors such as sun exposure and genetics can affect how severe and early the signs of aging will show, but eventually the signs will become apparent in everyone. Regardless of current technologies that tighten, tuck, paralyze and lift the skin, no one can escape the aging process.
Wrinkles
Wrinkles are one of the first major signs of aging on the face. As your body ages, the natural production of proteins, called elastin and collagen, slows down. Elastin provides your skin with stretch and spring, while collagen keeps the skin tight and pliable. Aging also causes fat storage depletion underneath the skin tissue, resulting in skin sagging. When all these factors mix, creases form on the skin as wrinkles.
Age Spots
Age spots, also known as liver spots, can be a sign of aging on the face. Age spots are caused by the clumping of melanocytes together beneath the skin. Melanocytes are responsible for creating melanin, the substance that gives your skin its pigment (color). According to the Mayo Clinic, growing older can increase the amount of melanin produced in the skin. With the higher production of melanin in a specific spot on the skin, circular skin discolorations occur, creating age spots.
Thinning Skin
Thinning skin cause the skin to look dry and transparent. Thinning is contributed to by the same factors that cause wrinkles, including loss of elastin, collagen and fat stores. Thin skin can cause blood vessels beneath the tissue to become more apparent and can also result in common problems such as dark circles under the eyes. Because skin protects the body against moisture loss, thin skin can cause moisture to escape too quickly from the tissue, resulting in chronic dry skin.
Hair
Another sign of aging on the face, especially in men, is the graying of facial hair and eyebrows. Graying hair is caused by melanocytes in the hair follicles creating less melanin. The less melanin available as the hair shaft grows, the more white the hair will become. Gray hairs can vary in color, depending on the typical amount of melanin in your original hair color.
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